For Better or Worse
by Silverflare07
Summary: There comes a time when your best friend stops being your best friend and ultimately becomes something more. And all you can do it let it happen... –TJSpin


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Recess. I don't own any of the memories that T.J and Spinelli share...except maybe Mikey singing to the kindergartners. Don't know if he did that. Either way I probably don't own it.

**Title: **For Better or Worse

**Summary: **There comes a time when your best friend stops being your best friend and ultimately becomes something more. And all you can do it let it happen... –TJ/Spin-

**Author: **Silverflare07

**Author's Notes: **Okay I was thinking of the title and I thought I should explain it a little bit. The title makes it almost sound like a wedding (at least it does to me) and it's not. It's about the changes the gang has been through and the changes between T.J and Spinelli. Some changes are for the better and some are for the worse. So that's where the title comes from. Just wanted to clear up any confusion (if there even was any).

**Dedication: **I dedicate this fic to...well to Ashley! Happy 15th Birthday Ash! _:throws streamers:_ I guess this is kinda like a late (but only by a few days) birthday present (although I'm not sure if you'll read this).

L7

Ashley Spinelli pulled her jacket closer to her small frame and looked out dejectedly at the playground on the other side of the chain link fence. It had been so long since she'd last stepped foot on that ground. Almost 6 years in fact. As a senior in high school it wasn't surprising that she hadn't been to the 3rd Street School playground in many years. None of the old gang had. In fact it was a surprise that they were still friends, they had all grown to be so different.

Mikey had slimmed down significantly since his 3rd Street days and had joined the drama club. After the middle school's production of 'Guys and Dolls' had been made an amazing hit (all thanks to Mikey and his outstanding vocals) he had quickly risen through the ranks and become the leader of the drama clubers. It had been years since Spinelli had seen him wear a color other then black, save for the few times he was with them.

Vince too had risen through the ranks, but on a much higher scale. He was the most popular guy in school and star of the basketball, baseball, soccer, and track team. His hair was now in cornrows and he spent a good deal of his time with his new jock buddies and the cheerleaders. His latest girlfriend, Ashley A., was the head cheerleader. A girl of whom Gretchen was extremely jealous.

Gretchen had also changed since her elementary school days. She had cut her hair so that it now hung just below her chin and her large wire glasses and been replaced with smaller, trendier ones. She had finally grown into her body too. No longer was she the tall gangly one. She had developed a gorgeous set of curves and gained some much needed control over her limbs. However much she changed on the outside some things on the inside would never change. Still a genius, and still tutoring the teachers, she had become the captain (and star) of the chess team and was easily the most popular 'nerd' the school had ever seen.

It seemed that she and T.J had hardly changed at all though (she had no idea what Gus was like, he'd moved away the summer before 9th grade and no one had heard from him since). T.J still wore his red hat, backwards, with a tuff of his brown hair still sticking out. He'd long ago lost the stockiness of boyhood and had grown taller then her. A few years of football (although he'd never been like Vince) had helped to fill him out nicely. On the inside though, he was still the same goofy-monkey boy he'd always been.

Spinelli's outside had changed quite a bit but, for the most part, on the inside she too was still the same. Her hair was now usually fell free down her back, ending shortly past her shoulder blades, or was up in a ponytail for gym. Like Gretchen she'd developed luscious curves and had filled out in all the right places. Her almond shaped eyes had softened over the years, no longer glaring out at the world in anger. She had softened a bit on the inside too. Her fists were no longer her first answer to a problem but she always kept them near and ready should the need arise. She'd taken up martial arts in the 7th grade and it had helped her significantly.

Spinelli sighed again and leaned her head against the fence. As much as the world around it had changed 3rd Street School had stayed the same. Almost like it had a protective force field around it that time couldn't penetrate. New Rusty (now called Old Rusty by the students) still stood tall and proud. She closed her eyes and could see herself and her friends sitting atop the old Old Rusty, trying to save it. She could feel it begin to wobble and break. Felt T.J's arms automatically reach out to grab her, keep her safe from the fall.

Spinelli shoot her head to clear the memories. Slowly she traced the outline of the fence with her finger as her eyes drifted over to the Ashley clubhouse. The Brittanys had trained four new girls, the Emilys, to be everything they, and their older sisters, had been. She looked closely and could see a girl, hair in pigtails, dressed in a red-checkered dress, a scowl on her face. Spinelli shook her head and the girl disappeared.

She bit her lip, briefly debating on how much trouble she could get in and if it was worth it. She looked at the playground longingly once more before deciding that it was. With a small affirmative nod she quickly scaled the fence and hopped over, landing with a soft thud on the black pavement below. She took a deep breath and smiled. The playground still smelt like fresh cut grass and mud. Things at 3rd Street never changed.

She walked over to 'Old' Rusty and skillfully made her way up to the top. To the small, almost room like pace that been home to every kid at one time or another. This was the place T.J had made his base of operations during the whole monsticker episode. The ghostly figure of a young boy in a brown hat, greedily counting monstickers appeared before her. She smiled bitterly at him remembering how she'd thought they'd really lost T.J for good that time. Thank Bob for those lick-and-stick alien stamps. She walked through the image before and her and both boy and his monstickers disappeared. She sat down at the edge of the platform, her legs dangling over the edge. From up here she could see most of the playground below her.

She heard the bounce of a ball on the black top and turned just in time to see the ghostly image of Vince score another point on Lawson. She shook away the image and immediately heard the deep tenor voice of Mikey. When she looked closely at the kindergarten pen she could just see him entertaining the kids with a song. He and the little terrors (as she'd always known them) faded away and she saw Gretchen standing in the grass, her yo-yo whizzing up and down. Gus suddenly ran past her, chasing Hector to keep him safe. Both faded away like the others and six childish voices filled the air. Laughter rang out and Spinelli could just see herself and her friends laughing at the Ashleys who were screaming about some plastic bugs.

"Miss Finster! Miss Finster!" A high, whining voice broke through the laughter and made it disappear entirely.

Spinelli turned her head swiftly but there was nothing there. Not even the ghost of the memory. Spinelli shook her head again. Seeing things in her head, she must really have been losing it. The images were nothing but memories. Things had changed. They had all changed, grown up. And things were just too different to ever go back to being like they were. Spinelli felt the sting of tears building up behind her eyes and she closed them swiftly.

"Hey."

The voice made Spinelli jump and she opened her eyes. She smiled at the boy next to her. For all her martial arts training he could still sneak up on her. Him and only him. She was just too much at ease in his presence. Or too wrapped up in thought. She hadn't even heard him climb up.

"Hiya Teej."

T.J sat down next to her and placed a casual arm around her shoulders. "What are you doing up here?"

Spinelli smiled. "Just thinking about our days here at 3rd Street."

T.J nodded. "If I look hard enough I can see everybody, doing' stuff they always did, ya know? Pretty weird huh?"

Spinelli shook her head. "No. It's not weird." She leaned against him. "I can see 'em too."

"There's where King Bob used to rule." He pointed out the places with his free hand, almost like he was showing her constellations. "And that's where Guru Kid used to sit. There's where Miss Finster painted her box," He shuddered in voluntarily at the memory. "And where you're master piece used to be. That's Hustler Kid's tree. I mean he sold things everywhere but he always said he sold best beneath that tree. And those bushes were Randal's favorite hiding space. And that's the dumpster we hid behind when Lawson made his crew. That's also the dumpster you and I had to kiss behind..." He trailed off there and both teens became unnervingly quiet.

Spinelli could already see the image popping up. The Ashleys in dresses, herself and T.J in their Sunday best. She looked away and willed the image to disappear. Why did the subject always send the two into such an awkward silence? The last time it had been brought up, a few years ago at an elementary school reunion, they hadn't been this awkward about it. They'd laughed it off and made stupid faces at one another and stuck their tongues out like they were back in 3rd Street. But once again something had changed. But this time the change had been between them and it hadn't been very noticeable...until now.

Finally she sighed and looked down at her hands, which were currently resting in her lap. She had to know... "What are we Teej?"

T.J withdrew his arm and gave her a confused look (which she couldn't see because she refused to meet his gaze). "What?"

She sighed. "What are we? I mean us..."

T.J looked thoughtful for a minute but said nothing. Spinelli was beginning to think he wasn't going to answer when he spoke up. "Well..." Then he fell prey to silence once again.

"Never mind Teej. It was a stupid qu-"

"I think we're in the middle."

"The middle?" Spinelli raised an eyebrow.

"Like...we're more then best friends but less then something more."

Spinelli just looked even more confused. "Okay..."

T.J took her hands in his and she forced herself to meet his gaze. "Spin...you've been my best friend for as long as I can remember. It's obvious that we crossed the best friend line a long time ago."

"Fourth grade..." Spinelli whispered.

T.J nodded. "Yeah, fourth grade. And we've been stuck there ever since."

"And there's only one way to go."

"Yeah..." T.J placed a hand behind her hand and gently drew her closer to him. "Spin?" His face was so close to hers that his breath tickled her cheeks and made her eyes flutter for just a second. He said her name as a question, asking for her permission. She closed her eyes and nodded. She was ready for this.

He lowered his head and captured her lips with his. The kiss was powerful and hungry, both parties searching to convey feelings they'd kept locked up for so long. T.J's tongue ran over her upper lip, asking for entrance. She opened her mouth obediently and it slipped in exploring every corner and reveling in her taste. They had both needed this for so long.

Spinelli wrapped her arms around his neck and natural instinct took over and soon had Spinelli lying on her back, T.J on top of her still kissing her like crazy. This felt so completely right to Spinelli. Her body melded against T.J's. His hands moved to rest on her waist, his thumbs brushing the cloth of her shirt up several inches and caressing the newly exposed skin. A foreign pleasure seared through Spinelli like a wild fire and her back arched slightly, pressing herself even closer to the boy on top of her.

His hand got bolder and left its place at her waist to travel up insider her shirt, stopping just below her breast. He ran his thumb along the sensitive skin and, like bursting through a foggy cloud of passion, Spinelli remembered where they were.

"Teej..." His name trailed off into a moan as his lips got dangerously close to the V-dip neckline of her shirt.

Fortunately T.J. heard her and his lips lifted from her skin. "Yeah?" His voice was low and husky, his eyes clouded by passion.

"We...we can't do this." Her breathing was heavy and there was nothing more she wanted to do. But they couldn't. Not now.

"Why?" He sounded hurt. Pain replaced the passion in the blue eyes Spinelli had always loved. "Why not Spin?"

Spinelli smiled. "We're still on top of Old Rusty."

The information jolted through T.J like a bolt of lightning and he sat up quickly, his hand withdrawing from her shirt as he did so. "Shit! I totally forgot."

Spinelli raised herself to a sitting position and leaned back on her hands. She giggled. "I did too."

T.J rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm glad you stopped me. I don't think 3rd Street will _ever _be ready for _that_." His throaty laughter mixed with hers and mingled into the evening air.

Spinelli glanced down at her watch. 6:15 pm. "I'd better get home. I've got a martial arts competition at 7." She began to climb down and looked up as T.J stuck his head over the edge. "You gonna come watch?"

He laughed and began climbing down after her. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

The two walked hand-in-hand up to the steps leading into the school. At the top step both turned around to look back at the playground that held so many memories, both good and bad, for both of them. T.J wrapped his arms around Spinelli's waist and she leaned into his chest. They smiled as the playground filled with the ghostly reminders of their childhood.

"Some things never change, eh Teej?"

He pressed his lips to the base of her next quickly before resting his chin on her shoulder and looking out at the playground with her.

"Yeah." His grip on her waist tightened slightly, pulling her closer. "But some things have to."

L7

Okay well that's my one shot. It came to me one night and I've spent about a week writing it during school when I should have been doing work.

Okay this is the first time I've ever written anything even remotely citrus-y-ish so I'm sorry in advance if it sucks horribly. I don't really have tons of experience in that field so it probably isn't very good but I figured I'd give it a shot.

R&R and let me know what you guys think! I live for feedback! I really do!


End file.
